After The Museum
by Cehsja
Summary: Connor's having one of those days where he's overtired and all the little things are adding up and really getting him down. That is until Abby makes him a special promise. One Shot.


When it came to Abby, Connor wasn't quite sure what to think. Oh, he knew he loved her, that wasn't the issue, he was just unsure about her feelings. In the past, Abby had brushed Connor's advances off many times, until Connor had finally given up. Lately though, she'd been acting different, looking at him different. He'd caught her staring at him many times and he'd noticed that he didn't seem to bug her like he used to.

Stephen had said Connor should tell Abby about his feelings and that Abby was probably waiting for him to make a move. Connor had promptly broken up with his girlfriend at the time, Caroline, and planned on doing just that. Abby had seemed really happy with the break up and Connor's confidence had grown, he'd just been waiting for the right time. But then he'd found out that Caroline had used him and his confidence had been shattered again. He didn't trust his own ability to pick the right woman anymore. It wasn't that he doubted Abby was trustworthy, he knew she was, he just doubted his judgement in thinking that maybe she could possibly feel the same way about him as he did about her. He couldn't risk losing what they had together.

And so he didn't tell her how he felt and he didn't make a move. He just waited and watched for a sign from Abby. If only he knew what that sign was supposed to look like, he'd be set, but he had no idea. He resigned himself to the idea that Abby and he were going to be "just friends" forever.

Still, as long as she wasn't dating anyone else, he figured he had some hope. To be honest, she hadn't seemed interested in going out with anyone for over a year. Was that his sign? What if she was wanting him and grew tired of waiting? Argh, it was just way too complicated.

This particular morning had started off quite badly. Connor had been rudely awakened by his dear friend, Rex in the wee hours of the morning before it was even light out! Then he hadn't even had time to eat breakfast before Abby had yelled at him that there was an anomaly alert and a creature incursion and she'd made him hurry and dress. He'd been starving when he'd run into work with Abby and they'd both been late and yes, everyone had noticed.

To make matters worse, there was some new guy at work. He seemed to be a bit of a mystery man, all dressed in black. The guy was certainly really private, wouldn't even tell them his first name! Who did he think they were? Seriously. The rest of the team were calling him by his last name, Becker, but Connor had decided that "Action Man" fit the soldier better.

The guy seemed friendly enough; it was the mystery about him that Connor hated. The last person he'd known that had been that quiet about his personal life had been Stephen. Turned out that was because Stephen had a lot of secrets, most of which involved an Amazon Girl named Alison and a certain (shudder) Helen Cutter, but still, before that had come out, Stephen had been really hushed up, just like Action Man. Well, no, Action Man was worse, Action Man didn't have a first name. But still, the point was that Abby had enjoyed the mysteriousness of Stephen. Abby had fallen head over heels in love with Stephen at first.

Of course, Abby hadn't shown any indication that she was interested in Action Man at all, but Connor couldn't help but to be worried and jealous. After all, even he could see that Action Man was good looking and Connor felt like he might be her type.

He'd stopped worrying about Abby and Action Man for a bit when they'd arrived at the museum. Museums creeped him out, especially when they were closed and locked up. It was so eerie walking through there with the soldiers and no one saying a word. Connor just had to talk to break the silence. He walked close to Abby and told her a story of how he'd been locked in a museum bathroom for three hours after it had closed one night. He knew it was silly, but he thought Abby should know that he was nervous being there and he needed to talk to break the silence.

To his surprise, Abby didn't tell him to shut up as he rambled on. Instead, she encouraged him to keep going by asking questions. He knew he was annoying everyone else, but he didn't care as long as Abby was interested in his story.

Then things had gotten a bit messed up. They'd found a dead body, some lady named Marion and met a woman named Sarah who worked at the museum. She seemed really smart but quite dazed and confused. Abby and Nick were supposed to go find the creature while Connor and Action Man stayed at the anomaly site with Sarah. Connor, who was thinking of nothing more than his stomach which was growling by this time, had stupidly opened up his briefcase in front of the anomaly and the magnetic force had pulled his wrench out and broken a chunk of some ancient relic off. Of course, he'd picked up the broken piece and it was only then that Sarah told him it was cursed and that anyone who touched it was doomed for life. Apparently the last person who had touched it had been Marion… the dead one. "Bad Luck," Sarah and Becker told him calmly, not seeming concerned about him at all!

It seemed the curse took effect rather quickly as he broke a vase right afterwards and then Action Man got called to join Nick and Abby and Connor tried really hard to focus on his job but he kept thinking how unfair it was that Action Man and Abby were working side by side as a team when it should be him. Instead he was stuck here with Sarah who didn't seem at all concerned about his curse. In fact, he realised with annoyance, she didn't even know his name and had to ask a few moments later.

Then another creature had come through and attacked Connor. The soldier that had been left behind to protect them (one of those silent creepy types that stood in the background until you forget they were there) tried to shoot at it, but his gun was jammed which was probably part of the curse.

Things seemed to get a little bit better after that, however, when he and Sarah had made some huge discoveries about the anomalies. They'd figured out a way to lock them by shooting electricity through them and they'd figured out that they could move the anomaly in the sun cage. He decided to focus on that for the rest of the day instead of Abby and Action Man.

Abby, Nick and Action Man returned suddenly, chasing the creature back into the museum. Somehow Connor found himself dangling from a rope while the rest of the team were safely on the ground. The creature went back through the anomaly and Connor promptly fell hard, landing on the concrete floor on his back. Not one single person asked him if he was okay! Connor could only hope that this was the end of the curse. He asked Sarah and she shrugged and said, "Here's hoping."

Abby and Sarah were whispering about something and laughing and Connor could only hope that it had nothing to do with Action Man's good looks or something. They headed back to the ARC, taking Sarah with them. It was then that Connor noticed that Nick and Abby must have stopped somewhere for food on their creature hunt. Abby was eating some sort of candy bar and Nick was carrying a fresh bottle of beer and Connor hoped that either of them would share with him, but Abby ignored him as she devoured the entire thing and it turned out that Nick had bought the beer for Sarah as he handed it to her discreetly right after she met Lester. Then he'd offered her a job at the ARC. It was a good idea really, Connor thought, he was sure she'd fit right in and she seemed nice enough. He felt much more comfortable working with her than with Action Man really.

Just before they left, Connor overheard Action Man congratulate Sarah on her quick thinking in making up the curse and Connor felt hurt. So they'd been laughing at him behind his back all this time? They didn't even know him! Connor didn't think he'd ever been so humiliated in his life. That is until a moment later when he suddenly remembered the little whispered thing that Abby and Sarah had done and he realised that Abby had been laughing at him too. Then he was completely crushed.

When he got home he quickly grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and heated them up. Finally, food. At least something was going right. Then he slumped over onto the couch and turned on his video games and tried his best not to think about the hurt that Abby had caused him. It must not have worked to well though, he was reliving the day in his head when he suddenly felt Abby sit down beside him.

"Connor?"

Connor ignored her, having no idea what to say at the moment.

Abby took the game controller from his hands, "Connor, your character has been jumping up and down on the same spot for ten minutes. What's wrong?"

Connor couldn't help it then, he felt stupid, silly, embarrassed and he was way over tired, he felt the tears start to flow and he pretty much shouted at her, "Everything! Everything is wrong!"

Abby looked a bit taken aback as she put her hand on his arm, but Connor shrugged it off again, his emotions taking a hold of him. It took a lot to make Connor upset like this, but he'd gone through a lot that day and he couldn't control his words anymore. "Abby, how could you humiliate me like that? You and Sarah and Becker all making fun of me, pretending like there's a curse and then laughing at me behind my back?"

Abby looked down at her hands and Connor could see she was upset. "Connor, I'm sorry, it was just a bit of fun is all."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't fun for me!" Connor shouted at her, "I have to sit in that stupid museum, which I'd already told you gave me the creeps and you get to go running outside with Action Man and I don't know whether I'm more scared of the creatures or of you liking him more than you like me, and then I find out you three are all making fun of me! How's that supposed to be fun? You didn't even ask if I was okay when I fell!"

Abby looked stunned, "Connor, I-I was tired too, I wasn't thinking I guess, there was so much going on. Are you okay? You weren't hurt were you?"

Connor had started to calm down now, it wasn't like him to be angry and it took a lot out of him. "Me back's sore," he answered, avoiding her eyes, "but I'm fine."

Abby gripped his shoulders and turned him a bit. To Connor's surprise she began to gently massage his back. He let her continue in silence for a few minutes and then suddenly he felt her press her forehead against the back of his shoulder. "Connor," she whispered, "How could you ever think I'd like someone else more than I like you?"

Connor pursed his lips together and shrugged, "I dunno, Abby, maybe it's because you'd never shown interest in me as more than a friend, because one day I'm sure you'll want a boyfriend and then you'll forget all about me, yeah?"

Abby didn't answer, but Connor felt her start shaking a bit against him and he turned so he could see her face. Now it was Abby that was crying and Connor had no idea why or what to do about that. He awkwardly put an arm around her shoulders and Abby immediately fell into his arms, burying her face in his chest as she cried.

"Abby? Abby? Please stop," Connor begged. This was not a situation that he was comfortable in. He wasn't supposed to have made his Abby cry.

She did stop, eventually, but it seemed like forever to Connor. She sat up and wiped her tears and leaned back against his shoulder. Connor kept his arm around her, watching her cautiously.

"Connor, I'm sorry, I didn't realise how much I've been hurting you and that hurts me. We need to talk, yeah?"

Connor nodded his agreement, thinking it was the best thing to do in the situation, but he had no idea what she wanted to talk about so he really hoped that it was Abby that planned on doing the actual talking bit because he surely didn't know what to say.

Abby took a deep breath, "Connor, I'm not very good at relationships, yeah? I'm scared, okay? What if, what if it didn't work out? I don't want to lose you, Connor, you're my best friend."

Connor stared at her, unsure what she was trying to say. What relationship? She hadn't actually started something up with Action Man yet, had she? Is that was she was saying? He had said he was scared of losing her to him and now she was saying all this stuff about relationships. He had to do something fast. "Abby, I…" he began, but Abby put her finger on his lips and he knew enough to shut up.

"Connor, will you wait for me?"

"I…" Wait for her, for what? Connor was confused, he had to ask, "Abby, I don't know what you mean," he confessed.

Abby sighed, "Just, I'll tell you when I'm ready for more with us, yeah? I'll show you, somehow. It'll be you, Connor, I promise. When I am ready for a boyfriend, it'll be you, but you have to wait for me, okay? No more Carolines, yeah? Please."

Connor stared at Abby in amazement as it became clear what she was saying. Abby wanted him! Not yet, but she did. His face lit up in a silly grin that he just couldn't hide, "Yeah, Yeah, Abs, I'd wait forever for you if you like."

Abby smiled at him, "No, not that long," she promised. "Soon, I'll give you a sign soon."

Then she stood silently and excused herself to go to bed and Connor couldn't help but stare at her, his grin never fading as he watched her ascend the stairs.

He guessed it wasn't such a bad day after all.


End file.
